CLS attorney available to media following hearing in lawsuit against UC-Hastings

WHO: CLS-CLRF Litigation Counsel Timothy J. TraceyWHAT: Available for media interviews after hearing in Christian Legal Society v. KaneWHEN: Tuesday, March 10, immediately following hearing, which begins at 9:30 a.m. PDTWHERE: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse, 95 Seventh Street, San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — An attorney with the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law & Religious Freedom will be available for media interviews outside the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse immediately following Tuesday's hearing in Christian Legal Society v. Kane. The lawsuit, filed by attorneys with CLS and the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom, challenges Hastings College of the Law's discrimination against the school's student chapter of CLS.

"Public universities cannot single out Christian student groups for discrimination. All student groups have the right to associate with people of like-mind and interest," said Timothy J. Tracey, litigation counsel for CLS's Center for Law & Religious Freedom. "We are hopeful that the court will not allow Hastings to continue to deprive CLS of this right by forcing the group to abandon its identity as a Christian student group."

On Tuesday, Tracey will argue that the appeals court should reverse the lower court's decision against CLS and stop the school from denying the CLS chapter recognition as a student organization.

While allowing other groups to limit their officers and voting members according to shared beliefs and values, Hastings officials refused to recognize the campus chapter of the Christian Legal Society as a registered student group because the group requires officers and voting members to subscribe to the group's Christian beliefs.

The CLS chapter appealed the case to the 9th Circuit when the district court ruled in favor of the school. ADF and CLS attorneys originally filed the case in September 2004.

The ADF Center for Academic Freedom defends religious freedom at America's public universities. ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. The CLS Center for Law & Religious Freedom is a team of Christian attorneys allied with ADF to defend religious liberty and human life.